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Lead Gen Search Ask the Expertâ€”Tracking sales from search keywords

Published on May 27, 2008.

Problem: I know how many Web site visitors I get from my Google AdWords campaign, but I don't know how many convert and which keywords led to sales.
Solution: Google AdWords can be both a blessing and a curse. Yes, companies see an immediate impact from the uptick in Web traffic. Unfortunately for many marketers, it's difficult to connect that visit with a sale. What you need are intelligent, trackable forms to give you insight into the customer.
To insert some intelligence into your Google AdWords campaign, you need to create a way to track the click-throughs to your Web site. The best way to do this is to create a form on your landing page to capture the prospect's information, including the specific keyword. These forms should provide a clear call to action and a related offer to entice prospects to submit their information.
Automated services can further help you by sending the information you get from the forms directly to your CRM system. This way, you can include these prospects in your marketing programs and build a relationship with them, extending beyond the one click. These services also let you assign a tracking code to each prospect so you can track each and every touch you have with that person.
Once that prospect converts to a paying customer, you'll not only know that the person came in through Google AdWords but you'll also know which keywords were most profitable. Then you can go back and refine your Google AdWords campaign to make the most of your marketing dollars.
Jeff Pedowitz is VP-professional services at Eloqua (www.eloqua.com), a provider of marketing automation software.